PORITES CORAL CARE OVERVIEW

• LIGHT: HIGH (200-250 par) is what we find best. You can learn more about Lighting and it's overall impact on your reef tank in our article Lighting and your Reef Tank

• FOOD: We haven't noticed that any specific feeding strategy is required for Porites corals. Like most corals they capture nutrients from the water and will do best when supplied a healthy amount of food. Our method is high import, high export. You can learn more about Feeding and Filtration in our article Feeding, Filtration and your Reef Tank.

• FLOW: MODERATE-HIGH. Porites corals benefit from moderate to high flow. Their polyps arent overly sentisitive to water movement but if too much flow is being provided then Porites may not extend their polyps. Porites tend to thrive well in the same environments that Acropora do. Too much flow, especially direct flow, can cause damage to the coral's tissue or an inability to capture food. You can read more about Flow and its overall impact on your reef tank in our article Flow and your Reef Tank

• DIFFICULTY: MODERATE. Porites Corals are readily available in aquaculture which means many hobbyists have found long term success. Porites can grow very quickly in ideal conditions and are not as susceptible to coral diseases like STN, RNT, and the like. This is one of the most 'beginner' of the SPS corals and we recommend people who are looking to get into SPS start with corals like these. We rate as moderate because they do require Alk/Ca stability as well as advanced lighting. Like with all corals, specimens have been seen to do well in captivity when the right combination of Food/Light/Flow and Filtration are achieved. 

• PRICE: Moderate. Depending on the piece Porites corals can range in price. Porites are fast growing and more easily aquacultured. They are often confused with montipora. Like with all corals, price will vary based on size and coloration of specimen.

• COLLECTION ZONE: Indo-Pacific

• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Porites is a genus of stony coral; they are small polyp stony corals. They are characterised by a finger-like morphology. Members of this genus have widely spaced calices, a well-developed wall reticulum and are bilaterally symmetrical. Porites, particularly Porites lutea, often form microatolls
  

• AGGRESSION: PEACEFUL. We haven't noticed much aggressions out of this type of coral however we still recommend allowing some space for growth and health. We recommend providing at least 1-2" space.

• NATURAL TEMPERATURE: 82 °F / 28 °C  although most corals can adapt and survive in temps as low as 77 degrees and as high as 84 degrees. You can read more about temperature and how it affects your reef tank in our article Temperature and your Reef Tank.

• PH: Recommend 8.0-8.4, we tend to run around 8.2-8.3 over 24 hours. You can read more about pH in our article pH and your Reef Tank

• NITRATE: 5-10, try to keep stable. You can read more about nitrate and our approach to maintaining it in our article Nutrients and your Reef Tank

• PHOSPHATE: 0.05-0.1, try to keep stable. You can read more about Phosphate and our approach to maintaining it in our article Nutrients and your Reef Tank

• ALKALINITY: Recommend 8-9 dKh. You can read more about how we maintain our alkalinity in our article Alkalinity, Calcium and your Reef Tank

• CALCIUM: Recommend 400-450. You can read more about how we maintain our calcium in our article Alkalinity, Calcium and your Reef Tank
  

More About Porites Corals

Porites are small polyp stony (SPS) corals in the Poritidae family.  These corals mostly grow by encrusting and can grow into mounds. When the polyps are extended, Porites appear fuzzy. These corals are usually found in shades of yellow, green, pink, and tan. However, there are other color morphs found in aquaculturing. Porites are commonly called, “Yellow finger coral” or “Jeweled finger coral.” 

Porites corals require moderate to high lighting. We recommend around 200-350 PAR depending on the particular species of Porites. Bear in mind that most corals can be gradually adapted to lighting conditions outside of their normal preferences. Porites also prefer strong water flow.

One of the best things about Porites corals are "Christmas Tree Worm" rocks.  This is when a big piece of Porites is colonized by a variety of colorful tube worms with spiraling crowns shaped like a Christmas tree, hence the name. When disturbed or startled, these little worms will retreat quickly into their hidden tubes. Through their symbiotic relationship with a photosynthetic algae, known as zooxanthellae, Porites receive many of their nutrients. To maintain good health, calcium, strontium, and other trace elements should be monitored and added as needed.

Porites have short tentacles and are pretty peaceful corals. Be sure to provide a plenty of space for your Porites corals to grow and thrive. Porites colonies can grow large and make up some of the largest colonies in the ocean reefs.